Manchester United Completes £70m Deal for Carlos Baleba

Manchester United have pushed their summer rebuild up another gear, agreeing a deal worth up to £70m with Brighton for midfielder Carlos Baleba.

A breakthrough in talks came on Friday evening, clearing the way for the 22-year-old to undergo a medical ahead of his move to Old Trafford. Once the final details are signed off, the Cameroon international will become the latest piece in United’s reshaped engine room.

United turned to Baleba this week after deciding their midfield still needed more power and depth, even after the arrivals of Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. The message from the recruitment team is clear: the middle of the pitch will not be a weakness this season.

The agreement will see United pay an initial £65m, with a further £5m tied to performance-related add-ons. Brighton have also secured a sell-on clause, ensuring they benefit again if Baleba’s value climbs at Old Trafford.

Now the focus moves to the medical and the formalities. Once those are completed, United will have their new midfield anchor — and another big-money signing carrying the weight of expectation into a defining campaign.